


The Hoodie Thief

by supposedly_archer



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fire Powers, Fluff, Kissing, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Pining, Reader-Insert, Superpowered!Reader, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, brief mention of alcohol at the end, teeny teeny teeny amount of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29773635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supposedly_archer/pseuds/supposedly_archer
Summary: Chronicles of the clothing stealerRequested by anon on tumblr: bruce x female!reader where she’s a newer Avenger and she starts stealing Bruce’s clothes to wear for herself and he realizes he likes it more than a friend or colleague should- he gets all flustered and there’s lots of fluff- something along those lines!!
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	The Hoodie Thief

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve finally finished my first request!! It’s kinda messy but I really really enjoyed writing it!!!

Being an Avenger was hard.

Being the newest Avenger was even harder. 

The first time you were approached by them, you slammed your front door in Captain America and Black Widow’s face. Not the best idea in hindsight, but you were so caught off-guard by it that you couldn’t think of any other option.

You knew why they were there. They wanted to recruit you because of your special abilities. In the wrong hands, pyrokinesis was destructive. You’d learned that lesson the hard way, and had no plans on ever using them, never mind becoming an Avenger. 

After your run-in with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, you decided it would be best to move far, far, away. You knew that it would most likely be futile, but it would make it harder for them to track you down. 

You were in the middle of packing away your silverware when Bruce Banner showed up on your doorstep. You were incredibly annoyed. _Why were you so important to them?_

Before Dr. Banner could even get a word out, you went off on him. Ranting about the Avengers and why they couldn’t give a damn lady some peace and quiet. When you finally cooled down, Bruce was staring at you, frozen in place and slightly wide-eyed. 

That’s when you realized that there was a flame flickering in the palm of your hand. It didn’t hurt you, your powers never did, and you quickly extinguished it. 

You looked back at Bruce, hands trembling and lip quivering ever so slightly. “Please just leave,” you whisper pleadingly. Bruce shoves his hands into his jacket pocket as if he were looking for the right words to say. 

“Can I at least explain why I’m here?” He asks softly. You press your lips into a thin line, wondering if this worth your time. But, Bruce had asked you so softly, and there just seemed to be a welcoming aura around him.

You nod slowly. “Fine, just make it quick,” you say, folding your arms tightly against yourself. You weren’t going to let him into your house, no matter how nice he seemed. 

“We want you to join the Avengers. And since you weren’t too keen on talking to Nat and Steve, they sent me instead.”

“Why’d they send you?” You ask Bruce. 

He shrugs his shoulders, “less threatening?” Bruce jokes. 

You let out a huff of laughter and lean against the doorframe. “Why do you want me to join so badly?” 

Bruce raises an eyebrow at your question. “Is that a rhetorical question?” You crack a smile at that, chuckling softly. 

After a few beats of silence, you sigh heavily. You lock eyes with Bruce, and it’s like there’s an understanding between the two of you. You bite the inside of your cheek. You didn’t really believe in _love at first sight_ or a _sudden connection with a stranger,_ but there was just something about Bruce that you immediately connected with. 

“You don’t have to join if you don’t want to,” Bruce’s words snap you out of your thoughts. “I’ll make sure that the Avengers don’t ever bother you.” His words are so sincere and kind that you’re stunned. 

You open and close your mouth, not quite sure how to respond. You stare down at your shoes, trying to figure out what you would say to him. 

“I’ll join,” you say to Bruce. He has an almost shocked expression on his face. 

“Are you sure?” He asks you, and you nod. 

“I’m sure.” 

***

It had been 4 and a half months since then, and it had been a very interesting experience so far. 

After your conversation with Bruce, you’d moved into the Avengers Compound a week later. Everyone seemed quite nice and courteous. Tony had been very generous in making sure your room was whatever was most comfortable for your needs and taste.

Thor was overjoyed to meet and get to know you, which was slightly overwhelming. From what you gathered he was like a 6’3, buff, golden retriever who could also control the weather. 

Steve and Nat didn’t seem to have any hard feelings about your first meeting, thankfully. Steve had made sure that you had any necessities in your room and bathroom. Nat was quiet but had made sure you were comfortable as being one of the few women on the team. 

You hadn’t met Clint yet, but you heard from Tony that he lived with his family a few hours away, and wasn’t there at the compound very often, except for missions. 

But by far, Bruce had been the most helpful and welcoming. He brought you food from a takeout place not too far away your first night there. He’d been the one to take you on a tour around the compound (which was massive.) And his room was the closest to yours. 

Overall, Bruce was one of the kindest people you had ever met. And though he wasn’t on your first mission, he’d made sure you were calm before and feeling alright after. It was very small and minuscule, but it was still incredibly nerve-wracking. 

He’d brought over mugs of tea to your room, and sat out with you on your balcony until it got too cold to be outside comfortably. When he finally retired to his room with a goodnight and soft smile, you’d felt the safest you’d ever felt. 

As you were getting ready for bed, you’d noticed that Bruce had left his hoodie laying on a chair in a corner. You picked it up gingerly and brought it up to your nose to see what he smelled like. “This isn’t creepy at all,” you mutter to yourself as you try to figure out what it smelled like. 

It was like a mix of peppermint and vanilla. Bath and Body Works, maybe? Either way, you probably held it for way too long before quickly deciding to try it on. 

_It’ll just be for this one night, plus it’s chilly in here,_ you thought to yourself as you pulled it over your head. It was a little oversized on you, but it was one of the comfiest hoodies you’d ever worn. You’d have to ask Bruce where he bought it. 

You’d climbed into bed that night, and dreamt of Bruce. 

***

You never did get around to giving Bruce his hoodie back. You truly had good intentions at the start, but you kept telling yourself that you just didn’t find the time or that both of you were just too busy. Even though Bruce came over to your room every evening to chat or watch a movie. 

The second time you stole a piece of his clothing was right after a mission had gone south. 

It was supposed to be simple, in and out, but you were ambushed and barely made it out with your lives. After you’d gotten out of the medbay with more than a few bruises and bandages, you trudged back to your room. 

You’d barely sat down on the edge of your bed after getting out of the shower and changing out of your suit when you heard a knock at the door. You debated whether or not to answer it, not really wanting to talk to any of your teammates just yet. You were still the newest Avenger and didn’t want to end up breaking down in front of Captain America and show that you weren’t strong enough for this line of work. 

You begrudgingly shuffled over to your door, opening it slowly. You were relieved to see that it was Bruce on the other side. He hadn’t been on the mission, it was decided that the Other Guy wasn’t needed, but he heard the whole thing go down through the comms. 

“Hey,” Bruce says softly, dressed in his pajamas. If you weren’t so exhausted emotionally and physically, you would’ve found his wardrobe choice amusing. 

“Hey,” you say back, moving so he can enter your room. You close your bedroom door and turn on your heel to face your visitor. You stare wordlessly at each other for a few moments, before you sit down next to him on your bed. You lean into Bruce, resting your head on his shoulder. 

He held you as you cried that night. Not pushing you to talk or explain, just letting you cry. 

You weren’t sure what time you finally fell asleep, or how long you cried, but you did remember Bruce wrapping his jacket around you when he noticed you shivering. You awoke the next morning laying under the covers in your bed, with Bruce’s jacket still wrapped around you. 

He had left a note on your nightstand, reading, 

_Sorry I couldn’t stay the whole night. If you wake up at any point feel free to come to my room. I’ll make tea for us when you wake up - B_

You clutched the note tightly, feeling a warmth blooming in your chest. You met up with Bruce soon after, still wearing his jacket from the night before. He said nothing about the jacket, but you did notice a dusty rose coloring his cheeks that wasn’t normally there. 

It went on like that for a while, Bruce would visit you in your room, or you would meet up somewhere in the compound, and when he left you would take his hoodie or jacket that he’d sometimes forget. 

There had been nothing said about your thieving until last week, at almost 3 in the morning. You’d gone down to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal since you couldn’t sleep, and ran into Tony, who was shoving mouthfuls of chips into his mouth. 

You acknowledge each other silently, maneuvering around each other. You were just about to make your journey back to your room when Tony suddenly decides that he wants to make small talk. 

“That’s Bruce’s hoodie,” he says through a mouthful of chips. You squint your eyes at him, not fully understanding what he just said. 

“What?”

“You’re wearing Bruce’s hoodie,” Tony states simply. You look down at yourself, picking at the hem. 

“Yeah, I guess I am,” you mumble. You were way too tired to be dealing with Tony and just wanted to eat your Lucky Charms in peace. 

“Are you guys dating?” Tony pops another chip into his mouth, and you almost spit out your mouthful of cereal. 

“No, just friends, Tony.” You quickly exit the kitchen, not wanting to accidentally confess your feelings about Bruce Banner to him. _Tony is_ so _weird._

***

It was right after the sixth time you’d stolen a piece of clothing from Bruce when you finally confessed your feelings to each other. 

You had both been drinking something a little bit _stronger_ than tea when Bruce let it slip that he found it cute that you wore his hoodies. His face went bright red almost immediately afterward as he sputtered out an explanation for what he just said. 

“I mean-you look perfectly fine in it! It means you’re-you’re warm and comfortable?” Bruce phrased the last sentence as a question, refusing to make eye contact with you. 

You just stared at him blankly, the ~~alcohol~~ tea making your brain fuzzy. “You think I’m cute?” You ask Bruce, plucking at the hem of his hoodie. 

He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, “Yeah, I guess?” Bruce laughs awkwardly, and you try not to break out into a wide grin. 

“That’s really nice to hear,” you tell him, smiling. 

“Really?” Bruce asks uncertainly. You take that moment to set your drink haphazardly on the table beside you and lean forward to kiss him gently on the lips. 

Bruce stays frozen in place for a few seconds, surprised by your bold move. But, he slowly reciprocates the kiss, gently cupping your cheek with his hand. 

You eventually break away for air, but you rest your forehead against his. 

“How long have you known that I’ve been stealing your hoodies,” you ask him quietly. 

Bruce cracks a smile. “Ever since you first started. You’re not exactly subtle.” 

You laugh softly at that, “I don’t really think that was my plan.” 

“What? Seduce me by committing robbery?” Bruce jokes. 

“Obviously, Bruce. Have you ever read a romance novel? 90% of the time that’s how they get together!” 

He laughs and pulls you into another kiss. 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr: @banner-swift


End file.
